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Thursday, May 17, 2012

Blog Tour + GIVEAWAY~Why Aren't You Sweet Like Me? by Carrie Nyman

Welcome to the first stop on the WHY AREN'T YOU SWEET LIKE ME? BLOG TOURby Carrie Nyman Hosted by moi...

~Book blurb, Q&A + GIVEAWAY~

A young couple, Camille “Honey” Shaughnessy and Don Shepard fall in love on the eve of World War II. As America enters the war, and Don is pressured into the service by his father, the two newlyweds struggle to maintain contact. Don becomes a hero, saving the lives of his comrades, but will he make it home alive? Why Aren’t You Sweet Like Me? is a novel based on the actual love letters exchanged between the author’s grandparents.

It is available in print and eBook formats. Please see carrienyman.com for more information.

Where are you from originally?

I grew up in Colorado Springs and I
moved back here after college at CU-Boulder. My entire life seems to have been
stretched along this 90 mile highway.

What inspired you to become a writer
and who are some writers that influence you?

I was always a creative child and
writing was my main outlet. When I was young and kept home from school, I was
inspired by books and plays that were turned into movies, comparing them,
correcting what I would have done differently. When I read, it’s almost an
escapist venture because my imagination runs away with me. I love C.S. Lewis,
Toni Morrison, Neruda, Frost. I read constantly in my free time.

What genres appeal to you the most?

I think that YA actually attracts me
the most. Maybe it’s because I kind of missed out on that point in my life but
I feel for teens. I understand them.

Tell us about your new book Why
Aren’t You Sweet Like Me? How’d you come up with the title, and what
inspired the story?

My grandfather was a prolific writer.
I have over 130 of his letters and telegrams from before and during WWII. In
the days before instant gratification communication, letters took several days
to reach their destination; a reply would take over a week. The first letter
that I have from my grandfather to my grandmother has two hearts with an arrow
going through them. He wrote next to it: “Why aren’t you sweet like me?” Honey
had accused him of cheating on her and he retorted with a letter that is both loving
and caustic. It’s incredibly telling of his character. My novel is based on the
true events detailed in these letters. I documented them and then interviewed
people to build Honey’s perspective. I then completed further historical
research to ensure that the story was accurate.

How much time went into completing
the book, in terms of doing research and actually coming up with the plot?

Plot-wise there is very little
creativity; that was already written for me (with a few minor meanderings). I
documented letters for five months (starting in April of 2009), interviewed for
a week, and wrote for a year. With a professional writer and editor, Mark
Graham, I edited for four months. Because the completion of my manuscript
coincided with the end of the year, I felt that it would be best to wait a few
weeks to query agents and publishers in January 2011. The Sunbury Press asked
for my manuscript on Valentine’s Day, and I had a book contract on August 1st.

What do you want readers to take from
this story?

“Love is the big thing.” There can be
no true happiness and no true wealth without it. If the world were to end,
money and a great job and a dream house would mean nothing. Love is the thing
that binds us together and makes life worthwhile.

You were diagnosed with degenerative
Rheumatoid Arthritis at
14. How has writing helped you cope with that throughout the years?

As with any teenager, one needs to
have an outlet in order to be whole; writing was mine. Strangely, I owe my
abilities to this affliction.

Are you working on any new projects?

I have almost completed the first
draft of my second work, EMPIRE. It’s YA Fantasy fiction with some Christian
themes (but isn’t what I’d call “preachy.”)

If you were lost in a world filled
with books but was only allowed to take three, aside from your own, which three
books would you select and why?

Maclean’s “A River Runs Through It,”
Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms,” and Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” (I could
read them over and over again and still find something new to appreciate).

What
do you do for fun when you’re not writing?

Well, I do consider writing to be
fun, but I work out, play with my kids. I do enjoying watching “Game of
Thrones” and “True Blood” as well.

Thank
you Carrie, any message for your followers or tips for aspiring writers?

When people tell you that you can’t,
you must. And when you do, thank your doubters for pushing you to succeed.

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